Your child’s homecoming will bring its own set of adjustments.
The extent will depend on:
The length of his/her hospital stay;
The seriousness of his/her
illness;
Changes in physical abilities or appearance;
Continued medication
and their effects;
His or her need for ongoing care or rehabilitation;
Changes
in behavior and emotional reactions to the experience.
In some cases, you may need to do as much planning as you did
before going to the hospital. Here are some suggestions to smooth
the way.
Before your child is discharged, make sure you know all about
his or her after-care needs.
Ask about:
Instructions for food, medicine, wound care and activity;
Signs
or symptoms of complications that would require immediate
medical
attention;
Follow-up appointments with doctors;
Rehabilitation options, if needed.
If your child will be dependent on supportive technology,
either in the short or long term, you’ll want to make
plans well in advance of the discharge date.
You may need
time to:
Learn about how to operate special equipment, perform
preventive maintenance and troubleshoot routine
malfunctions;
Modify your
home, perhaps by adding ramps or extra electrical capacity;
Arrange
for in-home services.
Some children return to their normal daily routines quite
easily, but you should be prepared for some common problems
that might occur.
A child may:
Regress to an earlier stage of behavior;
Have sleep disturbances;
Act defiant or aggressive;
Not want to give up being the center of attention and may
cling to being “ill.”
Emotions or behaviors that didn’t come out in the hospital
may surface once the child feels safe at home.
You can help by:
Allowing your child to express anger, frustration or sadness,
and offer reassurance and support;
Not leaving your child for long periods
of time or overnight until he or she has settled in again;
Returning the child to his or her regular
home routine as soon as possible;
Giving your child responsibilities
that match his or her abilities;
Encouraging children to write
stories, keep a diary, create art or put together a photo
album of their experience. This is an excellent way for your
child to make sense of an illness and to encourage healthy
communication about it. However, don’t dwell so much
on your child’s illness
that it becomes his or her identity;
Encouraging your
child to take a role in planning and providing care at
home, such as helping to change a bandage;
Helping your child
have “healthy child” fun.
Discuss changes with the entire family, giving siblings a
chance to share their feelings and learn ways they can help.
Make the school (both the child's and siblings') aware of
special needs or issues and work with school counselors
and nurses for your child’s re-entry.
